1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to-an electronic apparatus having a front panel movable against a main body mounted on a car as a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A car stereo system (refer Patent document 1) as the electronic apparatus is mounted in an instrument panel of a car as a vehicle. The car stereo system has a main body to be mounted in the instrument panel and a front panel including a display such as an LCD display and various operating switches, as a movable portion.
The main body is provided therein with a CD player, an MD player or DVD-ROM player for a navigation system. The front panel is for displaying map information of the navigation system or information to show playback conditions of the CD player or the MD player on the display. The front panel is provided with a touch-type or a push-type switch to be operated for acting various functions of the navigation system, the CD player or the MD player.
The aforesaid car stereo system is provided at a surface of the main body opposite to an operator (call a front surface hereafter) with an insertion opening for inserting a CD, an MD or a DVD-ROM therethrough into the main body to reduce a required area of the instrument panel for mounting the main body. And in the car stereo system, the front panel is slidable between a position to cover the front surface and a position to open at least a part of the front surface.
In the aforesaid car stereo system, a CD, an MD or a DVD-ROM is inserted into and extracted from the main body to position the front panel at the position to open at least a part of the front surface of the main body. After inserting the CD, the MD or the DVD-ROM into the main body, the front panel is moved to the position to cover the front surface, and the touch-type switch or the various push-type switches are operated to drive the CD player, the MD player or the DVD-ROM player. The information to show playback conditions of these players is shown on the LCD display.
In the aforesaid usual car stereo system, the front panel is movable slidably between a position to cover the front surface and a position to open at least a part of the front surface. In the usual car stereo system, the front panel or a moving member interlockingly with the front panel is pushed by a constant pushing force of a cushion formed with rubber or a coil spring between a position to cover the front surface and a position to open at least a part of the front surface. Thereby, the front panel of the usual car stereo system is prevented from vibrating caused by vibration of the car in driving so as to prevent from a noise by vibration of the front panel.
The patent reference 1 is Japan Patent Application Laid-open W10-51712.
3. Objects to be Solved
In the usual car stereo system, the front panel or a moving member interlockingly with the front panel is pushed by a constant pushing force of a cushion formed with rubber or a coil spring over an area between the position to cover the front surface and the position to open at least a part of the front surface. A required drive force of a drive power source like a motor for moving the front panel may be apt to be increased. In a car stereo system specified by that a bottom end portion of the front panel is projected from the main body and a top end portion of the front panel is moved along the front surface of the main body, the largest drive force is required for starting the front panel to move from the position to open at least a part of the front surface toward the position to cover the front surface.
Therefore, in the usual car stereo system, a drive power source like a motor may be enlarged and the cost may be increased. Thereby, the other electronic parts mounted in the electronic apparatus like the aforesaid car stereo system may be limited in size and the cost of the electronic apparatus may be increased.
To overcome the above drawback, one object of this invention is to provide an electronic apparatus which a drive power source for generating a drive force to move a movable portion to move freely against the main body can be miniaturized and the cost can be reduced.